Staying Fit While on Your Travel Assignment

Taking on a travel assignment can truly be an exciting time. You’ll meet new people, live in a new area, experience new ways of doing things, or perhaps even eat food you’ve never eaten before.

So how can you stay fit while on your assignment? It can be a bit more challenging. After all, your routine will be changed: your gym or in-home treadmill may be hundreds of miles away.

Read below for some tips on how to stay fit while on your travel assignment.

1) Many gyms and fitness centers are nationwide. Check with your hometown gym to see if your membership will be good at another center. If not, many local gyms offer short-term memberships; you could research your assignment’s location and call a few gyms ahead of time to see if they offer these memberships.

2) Many of the apartment complexes in which you’ll live while on assignment have on-site fitness centers. Call the complex’s office to get an idea of what kind of equipment is there and how busy the center is and when peak usage occurs.

3) Bring a DVD player and exercise DVDs. You also can bring small hand weights. Elastic bands also are quite popular – and effective – for using for resistance training. Balance balls can be deflated and for travel and re-inflated once you arrive at your destination.

4) Large medical facilities often have fitness centers for employers. Call your new assignment’s administration department to see what’s available at work.

5) Aim to cook at home as much as possible. Not only will you save a considerable amount of money, you’ll no doubt eat healthier as a result.

6) Traveling to another location for work can be stressful. Are you a stress eater? If you know you are, think of some things you can do to combat the urge to reach for food when you’re feeling tense. Pack healthy snacks you don’t need to refrigerate (nuts, seeds, carrots/celery) that you can reach for quickly. Place yogurt, mozzarella sticks and other healthy foods in your break room’s refrigerator for the times you need to nosh and have some time to take a break.

7) Sleep. Even though the shift demands of a healthcare career can be tough on your body, aim to strive for consistent and regular sleep at the same time each day. Don’t sleep in too much on your days off. 7-8 hours of restful sleep is critical for good health. Especially for those who work in the health professions as sleep can help you stave off the effects of stress.

For more tips on how to stay fit while on a travel assignment, contact MedPro Healthcare Staffing. Once you accept an assignment, we can tell you a lot about your assignment facility, as well as the area where you’ll be working. We often have information on gyms/fitness centers, hiking trails and a lot more about the fitness and outdoor opportunities in your assignment’s city. We look forward to hearing from you!